Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Use this search engine for graphic resources from around the web. Search for graphics in many file formats such as vector, icons, and photos for use with your websites, presentations, and any other graphic needs. In addition to graphics, Freepik offers templates for flyers, posters, and brochures. Many resources offer options for customizing text and color. Each item includes details for editing and downloading, including information on crediting the author. Note: As with most clipart search engines, there are graphics on this site that are not appropriate for children. TeachersFirst suggests that an adult looks for appropriate graphics to distribute to students.
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tag(s): clip art (11), graphic design (49), images (263), vectors (16)

Airtable is an online database for collaboration incorporating many different online platforms. Attach files from services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote to share. Collaborators can view the change history, link data, and engage in chat. Free templates offer options for creating study guides, book lists, and more. Free accounts offer unlimited databases with storage of up to 1200 records each and a 2GB attachment limit.

tag(s): bookmarks (43), collaboration (93), curation (32), DAT device agnostic tool (147)

Write down your thoughts in an organized, structured way with Thought Plan. The simplicity of the features allows for easy use with flexible editing for personalized use. Register for an account to begin creating your first Thought Plan. Add a title, then begin creating a list of your main ideas. Share or download to your computer with the provided links. The introductory video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable.

tag(s): gifted (66), organizational skills (88)

Edulastic provides free assessment tools to track learning and mastery of Common Core Standards and state standards. The program contains more than 2000 customizable assessments with automatic grading capability. Register to create an account, then begin using the assessment library and adding students to your class using a code, emails, or upload a data sheet. Be sure to take advantage of Edulastic's articles, training, and free webinar videos to learn about all the features included with this program. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): assessment (147), commoncore (73)

Gojimo is a quiz-taking app (and online site) for high school English, math, science, geography, and more. Although created for British students, quizzes are suitable for students in any country. Choose "Study Online" to begin using Gojimo on your computer or device, then choose a topic. Immediate feedback is provided to let you know if answers are correct. Each question also includes a short explanation of the topic. There is no registration to take quizzes; however, to save them and have your Gojimo results on any device, registration is necessary.

tag(s): quiz (67), quizzes (90), test prep (69)

Designed as an interactive online course this site helps high school students develop the sophisticated research skills needed for college and careers, an important component of most standards. The formal research process is broken down into six steps: Asking Good Questions, Finding Information, Selecting the Best, Putting It Together, Your Presentation, and Making the Grade. Students work through a variety of activities linked from outside sites, including reading articles, watching videos, and completing worksheets. Each module is introduced by Voki avatars, reviewed here. Several popular research tools, such Zotero, reviewed here, and Evernote, reviewed here, are introduced. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): blended learning (37), citations (33), classroom management (120), digital citizenship (85), evaluating sources (29), inquiry (24), media literacy (109), note taking (36), organizational skills (88), plagiarism (34), Research (87), search strategies (22)

Create personalized crossword puzzles to embed on your blog or website with this easy puzzle creator. View the help for the directions and examples. It is as simple as typing a question on each line followed by an asterisk, then the correct answer. When complete, submit to view your puzzle online and choose from different options for sharing. Also, you can download puzzles as PDF documents.

tag(s): crosswords (19), puzzles (149)

Turn your typing into cool rhythmic beats with TypeDrummer. Listen to your creation as you continue typing into the box. For a change of pace, switch from the drumbeat to the song "Fool" by Moon Bounce. Click on "load new samples" only. Warning: Clicking on "Fool" will take you out of the TypeDrummer tool. After finishing your creation, use the link to share with others at the URL created for you.

tag(s): back to school (55), musical instruments (52), rhythm (21), sound (72)

Create attractive newspapers, brochures, and posters with the interactive tool, Printing Press. No log-in is required. Just choose which format you want, from one of five templates, and upload images. Choose text features and type or paste the text. Edit your work, if needed, before printing, downloading it as a PDF, or share through email. Save your draft to your computer to continue at a later date. Find a basic planning sheet, here, in the overview, to help students gather ideas. Turn the sound off or on at the top right.

tag(s): book reports (28), creative writing (124), newspapers (93), posters (43)

Spice up PowerPoint presentations beyond the templates included with your software! Free PowerPoint Templates offers over 7000 templates available for free download. Browse by theme, top rated, categories, tags, or colors. You can also use the keyword search to find a specific look. Be very careful with all of the advertising to locate the download link - they will have a .zip at the end of the title and are located under the description of the template.
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tag(s): slides (43)

Looking for a new book to read? Bookbub has it covered. Enter your email address and begin telling BookBub your preferences in genres and your preferred reader device or app (Nook, Kindle, iBook, Google Play, Kobo). You will be presented with a list of authors to follow based on your genres, and then you create your password. Next you will get a list of books recommended for you. Best of all, many of the books are free. You can always put a book under bookmarks, and be alerted when it has a reduced price or is available for free. You will even get an email when one of your favortite authors is publishing a new book. Under your account and notifications select how often you would like to receive BookBub updates - daily, weekly, and various other choices.
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tag(s): book lists (167), independent reading (81), reading lists (77)

Add comments, links, and questions to online videos with MoocNote. Create a free account, then import any YouTube video or playlist by pasting the URL. Other options include adding videos from DropBox or Google Drive. Return to unfinished videos from where you left off. Notes link back to the appropriate spot in the video and collect in one central spot for easy viewing. Options on the site allow you to create groups to share videos and adjust privacy settings.

tag(s): note taking (36), organizational skills (88), video (266)

LivingTree is an online collaborative tool for teachers, parents, and students. Share messages, photos, files, and more in 100+ languages instantly. Create a shared calendar for all members to access and contribute information. Calendars offer the ability for parents and volunteers to easily sign up for events such as conferences and field trips. There are introductory videos, and video guides for teachers, parents, administrators, and organizations. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable.

tag(s): chat (41), classroom management (120), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), organizational skills (88), polls and surveys (49), Teacher Utilities (198), video (266)

This guide, part of the larger site titled Accredited Schools Online, helps students with learning disabilities and their parents better understand their rights and responsibilities regarding postsecondary education. Organized as one lengthy page of useful tips, information includes choosing an online accredited college or university program that best suits a student's needs, financial aid advice, and links to other helpful sites. Specific school searches may be done elsewhere on the sponsoring site once you register. Other areas of the larger website include advice for the hearing and visual impaired.

tag(s): careers (156), college (45), disabilities (32), learning disability (21), Special Needs (53)

Tarr's Toolbox contains many quick and easy suggestions for spicing up lessons. Although created by a history teacher, most ideas can easily adapt to any subject. Click on any text box for a complete description of activities. Some of the descriptions have suggestions for use of the tools found on Classtools, reviewed here. Be sure to subscribe to Tarr's Toolbox blog to receive updates as new ideas are added.

tag(s): classroom management (120), differentiation (84), game based learning (205), professional development (385)

This simple, widget-like site lets you hear the pronunciation of English words by viewing YouTube videos of native speakers. YOUGLISH gives English, spoken by real people and in context. Type in a single word or phrase, choose UK, US, or all pronunciations, then a captioned video appears in the results and starts playing automatically. Additional results are available by clicking an arrow button below the video. YOUGLISH has a Restricted Mode you can use in the classroom. When activated the Restricted Mode will stay activated for any other sessions until deactivated. A logo with (RM) will appear when you are in Restricted Mode. If your district blocks YouTube; the videos may not be viewable. WARNING: Inappropriate words can be entered, and adult-level content results returned. Be sure to discuss expectations and consequences with students before allowing them to use this site on their own. If you are sharing videos with the class, always preview!
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tag(s): dictionaries (47), multilingual (77), pronunciation (34), vocabulary (238)

Build your own digital badges to award and share. Badge List offers the ability to design a badge using their built-in badge designer. You can also upload your own. Share with those seeking to earn the badge; they upload evidence of accomplishment using one of the five supported formats. Once achieved, awarded badges are displayed on an individual's profile and can easily be shared online. Since the free portion of Badge List is public, it is important for teachers to keep student identities anonymous. Use a code for the student name that is only known by the teacher. Also, be sure to obtain parent permission before using this tool with students. At the time of this review, stated by Badge List: "Badge List is currently developing simpler privacy settings to help K12 teachers protect student data. Until these features are released, teachers will need to take extra precautions to make sure that student data is safe."

tag(s): assessment (147), behavior (45), classroom management (120), game based learning (205), gamification (83), organizational skills (88)

Create interactive games, books, and presentations with TinyTap. Choose the Activities link to access resources made by teachers. Sort by category, age, and language. TinyTap allows creators to include drag and drop activities, videos, quizzes, and more - all in one activity. Create groups to assign activities to different students. Most games are free; however, some games by professional authors are not free. Play games and activities on any device; however, creation of games requires you to download the free iPad app. At the time of this review, TinyTap worked well on most browsers (except Safari). The free version is public and comments are permitted. Be sure to preview anything before you share with students.

tag(s): assessment (147), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (205), quiz (67), quizzes (90), Teacher Utilities (198)

Spice up any countdown with this versatile, yet easy to use, countdown timer from Classtools. Options include running multiple timers, adding music or video, and saving a web link to your timer. Choose the Get Started button to begin and follow prompts to choose included music or select your own from any YouTube video. Click the save icon to receive a personalized URL for sharing.

tag(s): classroom management (120), counting (60), time (91)

Collaborate with up to 100 participants from anywhere and at any time with Zoom's free online video conferencing options. Features include screen sharing, scheduled or instant meeting times, and private or group chat. Up to 40 minutes of group meeting time, and unlimited 1:1 meeting time is included with the free meeting plans. Sign up using your email or social network account to begin hosting a meeting. The step by step instructions make it easy to quickly begin video conferencing at your convenience.

tag(s): chat (41), communication (129), DAT device agnostic tool (147), parent conferences (21), video (266)